No, WHO does not confirm that PCR tests are "invalid"

2021-03-23T17:12:12.421Z

This message, relayed on blogs and social networks, was born from a misinterpretation of a note from the international organization

Illustration of PCR tests in Nice, March 11.

SYSPEO / SIPA

The WHO would have recognized that PCR tests are "invalid" beyond a certain threshold of sensitivity.
This message is circulating on blogs and social networks.
This message is based on a note published on January 20 by the international organization.
In this note, which is intended for healthcare professionals, the WHO simply reminds you to follow the conditions of use of the tests.

WHO "confirms PCR test is invalid"?

This is the message that is disseminated by several blogs and shared nearly 5,000 times on Facebook.

This message explains that the World Health Organization "retracted" on January 20 on the use of these tests.

The organization would have "implicitly admitted" "that all

PCR tests performed at an amplification threshold (Ct) of 35 cycles or more are invalid ”.

FAKE OFF

The note published by the WHO on January 20 is addressed to health professionals.

It reminds them to take note of the conditions of use of PCR tests provided by the manufacturers and to respect them.

This memo does not advise against the use of these tests or conclude that they are invalid.

A note motivated by misuse of tests

The international organization released this note after receiving ten reports of problems with PCR tests used to detect Covid-19.

"The reports concerned erroneous diagnoses, false positives and false negatives," she told our colleagues at Reuters.

Misuse of the tests had resulted in these diagnoses, according to the WHO.

In its note published on January 20, the WHO recalls that tests should not be the only diagnostic tools for a case of Covid-19.

The patient's clinical history or even any confirmed contact cases should also be taken into account.

The first erroneous interpretations of this note appeared in the United States a few days after its publication.

They are resurfacing in France, while sixteen departments are experiencing additional restriction measures to fight the pandemic.

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